1939 Penny Value:No Mint Mark, D, S, Copper Color and Proofs

Quick answer

Coin photos

Basics & coin story

By 1939, the Lincoln wheat design had been circulating for three decades. The three mints did not leave identical supplies of sharply struck survivors. NGC describes particularly good Denver striking, a generally accessible Philadelphia issue and many San Francisco coins showing the effects of overused dies.

NGC also explains that much San Francisco output fell in a fiscal year that began in July 1939. A fiscal-year label is not the same as the date on the coin; it does not make the visible 1939 date an error. The series guide provides the broader design history, while this article keeps the year and mint comparisons specific.

Identification

Do not confuse the penny with the 1939 nickel

Look for Lincoln, the 1939 date and wheat ears surrounding ONE CENT. The Jefferson nickel’s Reverse of 1938/1940 and Doubled Monticello terminology does not apply to this cent. Identify denomination and design before importing a variety name from a search result.

Read D or S below the date

A small D means Denver and S San Francisco. No letter is normal for Philadelphia, which made both ordinary cents and separate collector Proofs. A stain or scratch beneath the date should not be read as a mint mark without a clear image.

Color, grade and strike are separate

Brown, Red-Brown and Red describe copper color, not numerical grade. A sharply struck D can still be worn, while a softly struck S can retain original luster. Inspect the cheek, fields and wheat stalks together, and keep cleaning or corrosion visible in the condition description.

Condition & value

Amounts are in U.S. dollars. The final column gives each source row’s update date (month/day/year), separate from the access date of November 13, 2026. Published guides are reference estimates, not guaranteed buying offers or seller net proceeds. Obtain recent like-for-like completed comparisons for an actual transaction.

MS means Mint State. The ordinary table uses Brown (BN) copper entries; Red-Brown (RB), Red (RD), Proofs and attributed varieties are separate.

Use a date-and-mint comparison before a general range

The ordinary Brown Extremely Fine 40 references are 75 cents for Philadelphia, $1.25 for Denver and $1 for San Francisco. Philadelphia’s row was updated May 19, 2023; the D and S Brown rows July 12, 2020. They are dated retail references, not guarantees of net proceeds.

Proofs and copper color change the entry

NGC’s ordinary Red MS65 references are $20 for P, $20 for D and $17 for S, with different source update dates. A Philadelphia Red Proof 65 appears in an older February 28, 2017 guide row at $190. That is a separate collector-manufacture reference, not a price for any no-mint-mark penny.

An attribution needs more than doubled-looking text

NGC records a minor Philadelphia doubled-die obverse, but a thick edge or blurry image is not a complete attribution. Match a documented die and supporting markers before using a variety price. Leave surfaces unchanged; grade terminology and alteration checks are useful before a specialist assessment.

Photograph both faces under even light and record the visible date and mint mark. HeriBase can help organize an initial photo-based identification; verify important mint, finish and variety details against the references before using a price. An app result is not a certified grade, authentication or purchase offer.

Summary

FAQ

References